Golfing is a sport which requires practice. A well practised golf swing is an important element of successful golfing. Improvements in swing technique, and practice of that technique, are required in order for a golfer to improve his or her performance. However, green fees are expensive and a golfer does not always have convenient access to a golf course or driving range in which to practise. Consequently, there exists a need for a device which allows a golfer to practise his or her golf swing within a confined area such as a back yard or garage.
A primary consideration in the design of such a device is safety. Golf balls when driven at full force are potentially lethal projectiles, and when used within a confined space represent a potential danger not only to people within the immediate vicinity, but also to the golfer. Thus a golf swing practice device must prevent the golf ball from becoming a dangerous projectile once the golf ball is hit by quickly arresting the motion of the golf ball so as to dissipate the golf ball's energy. The device must also minimize the possibility of potentially dangerous rebounding of the golf ball from the device. Advantageously, a golf swing practice device must be constructed of a minimum of materials to reduce manufacturing cost, and must be easily assembled and disassembled for convenience of use.
In the prior art, Gates U.S. Pat. No. 1,218,390, issued Mar. 6, 1917, discloses a pyramid-shaped receptacle made of canvas or the like that is stretched over a pyramid-draped skeletal frame. In use, the frame is mounted on a folding wooden frame. The receptacle is made up of four triangular canvas sides suitably stitched or seamed together so that the sides converge to a vertex attached to one end of the folding wooden frame. Light bamboo poles are used to stretch open the mouth of the receptacle at the opposite end of the wooden frame. The pyramid shape is suspended on its side by attachment of the skeletal frame to the folding wooden frame so as to provide a funnel for arresting the flight of golf balls driven into the receptacle.
More recently, Balaz U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,110, issued Apr. 26, 1983, teaches a golf trainer device for arresting the flight of golf balls. The device consists of a pair of generally planar rectangular frame sections arranged in a side-by-side vertical configuration. The rectangular frame sections are connected at a common vertex and arranged so that they form a V-shape in horizontal cross-section. Nets are suspended across the top, bottom and sides of the frame sections by rings looped over the frame members. The nets are sewn together to form a tapered sack which is wedge-shaped when suspended from the frame. A vertical flexible sheet suspended between the horizontal top and bottom nets presents a flat impact area to the user to absorb the impact of a golf ball driven into the tapered sack.
Both the Gates and Balaz devices have inherent disadvantages. Experience and common sense dictates that, in order for golf practice devices to be useful and safe, the interior of a ball arresting receptacle cannot have exposed rigid surfaces from which a golf ball may rebound. Further, such a receptacle must have a large enough opening so as to virtually eliminate the possibility of a golf ball missing the opening of the receptacle when driven towards the receptacle, and the receptacle must be deep enough and of sufficient energy damping construction so that a golf ball driven into the receptacle will be quickly and safely arrested in flight.
The Gates and Balaz devices would, if made large enough, accomplish at least the latter objective. That is, in both cases, if the structural framework was made large enough so that a golfer could stand at least partially inside the opening of the framework so that the golf ball could be driven from the front lip of the receptacle into the receptacle, then the possibility of the golf ball missing the opening of the receptacle would be virtually eliminated. This, of course, would require that the structure be large enough to accommodate a full golf swing, which means that the opening of the structure would have to be both tall enough and wide enough to accommodate the golf swing follow-through. If the size of the Gates and Balaz devices were increased in this manner they would be unmanageably large and thus inconvenient to use in a golfer's garage or back yard.
Further, the Gates and Balaz devices incorporate rigid longitudinal frame members which extend from the front opening frame members rearwardly so as to support the tapering sides of the golf ball receptacle in close proximity to the longitudinal members. In both cases, the energy of a golf ball driven into the golf ball receptacle is likely sufficient to drive the flexible receptacle material against the longitudinal members, thereby exposing the golfer to the risk of being hit by a rebounding golf ball.
The present invention is a simple golf practice device which minimizes the risk of a golf ball driven into the device rebounding out of the device. The device is quickly and simply assembled and disassembled using a minimum of materials, is small enough so that such a device may be safely used in a golfer's back yard, garage or like enclosure and large enough to permit an uninhibited golf swing.